What is a Podcast? iPhone Owners Know and Love Them, Study Finds

iPhone owners love podcasts, more than Android users study finds. If you’re still wondering what a podcast is, here is a rundown. According to Entrepreneurs-Journey, the term “podcast” has a direct association with Apple: the word is a combination of the words “iPod” and “broadcast.” The term became popularized because users were downloading podcasts and playing them on their iPods.

Podcasts are audio and video broadcasts that are available for download or streaming purposes. They range in a wide variety of topics, and are popular due to their portability and accessibility. Most (if not all) podcasts have a radio-like style and are episodic in nature. Some of the most popular podcasts include This American Life, Serial, TED Radio Hour, and more.Apple’s recent release of Apple Music has once again centered the company on the music industry. After the Apple Music announcement at WWDC and the ensuing battle with Taylor Swift, Apple has overcome some hurdles in the music world. But in the wake of it all, the number of Apple users has not faltered. In fact, the company has managed to wrangle in a record number of users who use their Apple devices to tune into podcasts.

According to a recent study performed by audio platform Clammr, Apple devices are preferred over Android devices when it comes to podcast listeners. In fact, out of those users who listen to podcasts, 82% do so on an Apple device. To boil it down even further, 78% of the 82% are using the Apple Podcasts App. Whether this is because Apple began pre-installing its Podcasts app on iOS 8 and later editions has yet to be determined…but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Updated this past September, Apple’s Podcasts app is available in multiple languages and is free for purchase on iTunes. It gives users access to a plethora of audio and video podcasts, with the added bonus of being able to create custom stations and even listen offline. It also allows for easy sharing across AirDrop, Facebook, Twitter, Messages, and Mail.

The thing is, Apple has slightly less overall users than Android, not to mention that Apple’s Podcasts app isn’t the only podcast app available in the market. According to the study done by Clammr, Android makes up about 53% of the smartphone market, while the iPhone occupies about 41%. It is just another market that Apple is dominating in the ever-constant Apple versus Android battle.